Washington State's Chamber

Press Release

Thursday, February 18

AWB Statement on Proposal to Eliminate Bipartisan Tax Preferences

OLYMPIA -- The Association of Washington Business, Washington state’s largest business association representing small, medium and large employers, issued the following statement today from AWB President Kris Johnson regarding the House Democrats’ proposal to eliminate bipartisan tax incentives:

"Economic opportunity is the key to strong communities and shared prosperity. When lawmakers propose to go back on tax preferences passed with a bipartisan majority in the Legislature and signed by our Democratic governor, it creates uncertainty in the employer community. Just talking about policies such as this hinder Washington’s ability to retain jobs and compete for new employers and new jobs – cornerstones that create opportunity for Washington families and build strong communities statewide.

"The economic forecast released this week predicts a more than $400 million drop in projected tax revenue through 2019. With the economy showing signs of weakness, now is not the time to place one more hurdle in front of our state’s employers, particularly small businesses, and the Washingtonians who work for them."

About the Association of Washington Business

Formed in 1904, the Association of Washington Business is Washington's oldest and largest statewide business association, and includes nearly 8,000 members representing 700,000 employees. AWB serves as both the state’s chamber of commerce and the manufacturing and technology association. While its membership includes major employers like Boeing, Microsoft and Weyerhaeuser, 90 percent of AWB members employ fewer than 100 people. More than half of AWB’s members employ fewer than 10. For more about AWB, visit www.awb.org.